School of Social Work News

Assistant Professor Katrina Ellis is part of a team of U-M researchers evaluating the programs at the Silver Center, which offers enrichment and educational classes via phone to help adults 60 years old or older stay connected. While the program predates the pandemic, it has become especially timely for older adults who may have little or no access to technology and are isolated at home. The U-M team will evaluate how these activities may have helped participants cope with the isolation and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.  “We will learn what went well, what can be improved and how we could expand the program,” Ellis said. “This can bring attention to new ways of delivering services to older adults. We also hope that it increases awareness of community resources and opportunities for learning new things.”

Community Volunteer Opportunities Guide

During times of uncertainty and crisis, people come together to support one another. COVID-19 is a new test of our collective strength. The Community Engagement team and the Office of Field Education have created a webpage that includes a list of volunteer opportunities to support community members and organizations as well as additional resources.

"The partnership, collegiality and collaboration between the Community Engagement Team, the Office of Field Education, and our students is an extraordinary example of teamwork at its best in this time of crisis. Collectively, we have developed and identified numerous opportunities for our students to be able to support our communities and those in need as we all confront the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It makes me proud to be a social worker," said Assistant Dean of Field Education Dan Fischer.

"Coming together like this provides a teachable moment. When there is a difficult or emergency situation, we can work together to share resources and come up with answers. No one person has to figure everything out on their own. The COVID-19 virus has brought lots of uncertainty, but the School of Social Work community can do its part to uncover and respond to needs as they arise," said Professor and Director of Community Engagement Trina Shanks.

Professor Luke Shaefer has been named a 2020 Andrew Carnegie Fellow.  The two-year award provides $200,000 in support of his project, “Deepening Our Understanding of America's Most Vulnerable Communities.”  Shaefer is also the Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the director of U-M’s Poverty Solutions. 

The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program was established in 2015 and provides philanthropic support for high-caliber scholarly research in the humanities and social sciences that addresses important and enduring issues confronting our society.  Shaefer is one of 27 fellows named to the 2020 class. The criteria prioritize the originality and potential impact of a proposal, as well as a scholar’s capacity to communicate the findings with a broad audience.

“I am deeply honored to be named one of the Carnegie Fellows,” says Shaefer. “The fellowship will help me and my collaborators immensely in our work to more deeply understand disadvantage in this country and help direct resources and action to where they’re needed most.”

Associate Professor David Córdova was selected to serve on the editorial board of Emerging Adulthood, an interdisciplinary and international journal focusing on advancements in theory, methodology and empirical research in transition-age youth.

Associate Professor and Associate Director for Poverty Solutions Kristin Seefeldt spoke with mid-Michigan station WLNS about Poverty Solution’s latest research. The Michigan Poverty and Well-Being Map show that even before the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic began, about 14% of Michiganders were living in poverty and another 29% of households were struggling to make ends meet. “We really wanted to do work that was meaningful to the communities around the state, so that we can provide information, and potential solutions to some of the challenges that many of these families are facing,” said Seefeldt.

Janelle Goodwill, Joint PhD student in Social Work and Psychology, successfully defended her dissertation "A multi-method analysis of stigma, social support, and suicide ideation among Black college students." Her committee consisted of Daphne Watkins, Jacqueline Mattis (co-chairs), Robert J. Taylor and Myles Durkee.

Dean Lynn Videka has been named a chair of the U-M Provost’s Fall 2020 Planning Initiative. She is a member of the overall Fall 2020 Coordinating Committee and is chairing the Curricular Support, Extra and Co-curricular Activities, and Engaged Learning Committee.  Videka’s committee is part of a larger, coordinating committee chaired by Interim Provost Susan Collins, which is exploring ways the university can move forward with research, teaching and service during the pandemic.  Videka’s committee will focus on ensuring equitable access to key academic resources and developing guidelines to support and enhance U-M undergraduate and graduate education in fall 2020.

Todd I. Herrenkohl the Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families is the editor in chief of the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research (JSSWR). The journal is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to presenting innovative, rigorous original research on social problems, intervention programs, and policies. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Herrenkohl as JSSWR’s editor-in-chief,” says Luis H. Zayas, president of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Board of Directors. “I’m certain that Todd will continue the journal’s upward trajectory and legacy of excellence, bringing new ideas to further advance social work research, knowledge, and impact." Herrenkohl will serve a 5-year term, 2020–2025, during which time he also will head the JSSWR Editorial Board and serve as a member of the SSWR Committee on Publications.